Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 157

Those who follow the Messenger...

It is known that after Allah the Exalted clarified that the characteristics of those destined for mercy in this world and the Hereafter include piety (taqwā), giving zakāh, and believing in the signs, He added that they must also follow:

There is a difference of opinion regarding this:

1. Some said: The meaning is that they follow him by believing in his prophethood based on finding his description in the Torah. They argue that it is not permissible for them to follow his laws before he was sent to humanity. Regarding the mention of {and the Gospel}, they said it means they will find him written in the Gospel, as it is impossible for them to find him written there before Allah revealed the Gospel.
2. Others said: Rather, the meaning refers to those among the Children of Israel who lived during the time of the Messenger. Thus, Allah clarified that these later followers would not be granted the mercy of the Hereafter unless they followed the unlettered Prophet.

The second opinion is closer, because following him before he was sent and found is impossible. It is as if Allah clarified through this verse that this mercy will not be attained by the Children of Israel except by those who were pious, gave zakāh, and believed in the proofs during the time of Moses, and those who possess these qualities during the time of the Prophet, provided they are also followers of the unlettered Prophet in his laws.

Having established this, we say that Allah the Exalted described Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in this verse with nine characteristics:

The people of deep knowledge stated that his being unlettered, with this interpretation, was among his miracles, and its evidence is twofold:

1. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite the Book of Allah to them, structured time after time, without changing the wording or altering the phrases. If an Arab orator improvised a speech and then repeated it, he would inevitably add to it or subtract from it, little or much. Yet, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), despite not writing or reading, recited the Book of Allah without addition, subtraction, or alteration. This was one of the miracles, alluded to by Allah's saying: {We will make you recite, so you will not forget} (Al-A'lā: 6).
2. If he had been skilled in writing and reading, he would have been suspected of having studied the books of the ancients and acquired these sciences through such study. Since he brought this magnificent Qur'an, containing numerous sciences, without learning or reading, this was a miracle. This is what is meant by His saying: {And you did not read any book before it, nor did you write it with your right hand, for then the doubters would have been in doubt} (Al-'Ankabūt: 48).
3. Learning to write is easy; even the least intelligent and perceptive person can learn it with minimal effort. His failure to learn it indicates a great deficiency in understanding. Yet, Allah granted him the sciences of the ancients and the latter ones, and bestowed upon him sciences and realities that no human being has reached. Despite this great power of intellect and comprehension, Allah made him such that he did not learn the script, which is easy for the least rational and perceptive of people to learn. Thus, combining these two contradictory states is like combining opposites, which is an extraordinary event akin to a miracle.

I say that the essence of enjoining what is right is encompassed in the Prophet's saying: "The glorification of Allah's command and compassion for Allah's creation." This is because existence is either necessarily existent in itself or contingently existent in itself.

• As for the Necessary Existent in itself, it is Allah, the Glorified and Exalted. There is no right (ma'rūf) more noble than glorifying Him, manifesting servitude to Him, showing humility and awe at the door of His Might, acknowledging that He is described with attributes of perfection, purified from defects and afflictions, and exalted above opposites and equals.
• As for the Contingent Existent in itself, if it is not an animal, there is no way to convey good to it because benefit is conditional upon life. Nevertheless, it is obligatory to view all things with reverence, as they are creatures of Allah the Exalted. Furthermore, every particle of creation is an undeniable proof and a brilliant evidence for His Oneness and Transcendence, so it must be viewed with respect. Also, because Allah has placed wondrous secrets and hidden wisdoms in every particle of creation, it must be viewed with respect.
• If the creature is an animal, it is obligatory to show it compassion to the utmost extent possible. This includes kindness to parents, maintaining kinship ties, and spreading goodness. Thus, it is established that the Prophet's saying, "The glorification of Allah's command and compassion for Allah's creation," is a comprehensive statement covering all aspects of enjoining what is right.

1. Under this interpretation, the verse becomes: "and makes lawful for them the lawful things," which is mere repetition.
2. Under this interpretation, the verse loses its benefit, as we would not know what the things Allah has made lawful are or how many there are.

Rather, the intended meaning of al-ṭayyibāt must be things that are naturally pleasant (mustaṭābah), because consuming them yields pleasure. The principle regarding benefits is permissibility (hill). Thus, this verse indicates that the principle for everything the soul finds pleasant and nature enjoys is permissibility, unless there is a separate prohibitive proof.

I say: Everything that nature finds repulsive and the soul finds disgusting, consuming it leads to pain. The principle regarding harms is prohibition (ḥurmah). Thus, the implication is that everything nature finds repulsive is fundamentally prohibited, unless there is a separate prohibitive proof.

Based on this principle, Al-Shāfi'ī (may Allah have mercy on him) derived the prohibition of selling dogs, because it is narrated in the authentic collections from Ibn 'Abbās, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he said: "The dog is evil (khabīth), and its price is evil." If its price is established as evil, it must be forbidden due to His saying: {and prohibits for them the evil things}. Likewise, wine is forbidden because it is impure (rijs), as evidenced by His saying: {Wine, gambling... are but an abomination...} (Al-Mā'idah: 90) up to the word {abomination} (rijs). Impurity (rijs) is evil (khabīth), as agreed upon by linguists, and the evil (khabīth) is forbidden due to His saying: {and prohibits for them the evil things}.

First Issue:

Ibn 'Āmir alone recited it as {their burdens} (aṣārihim) in the plural, while the rest recited {their burden} (iṣra-hum) in the singular. Abū 'Alī al-Fārisī said: Iṣr is a verbal noun (maṣdar) used for plurality even in the singular form, indicated by its singular form being added to a plural meaning, as in His saying: {And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight} (Al-Baqarah: 20). Those who used the plural intended different types of covenants. Verbal nouns can be pluralized when their types differ, as in His saying: {and you held various suspicions about Allah} (Al-Ahzāb: 10).

Second Issue:

Al-Iṣr means the weight that restrains its owner, preventing him from moving due to its heaviness. The meaning here is that the law of Moses (peace be upon him) was severe.

His saying, {and the shackles which were upon them}, refers to the hardships in their acts of worship, such as cutting off traces of urine, killing oneself for repentance, cutting off sinful limbs, and designating certain parts of meat as forbidden. These were made shackles because prohibition prevents action, just as a shackle prevents movement. It is also said that when the Children of Israel stood for prayer, they would wear sackcloth and chain their hands to their necks out of humility to Allah the Exalted. In this case, the shackles are not metaphorical.

It is known that this verse indicates that the principle regarding harmful things is that they should not be legislated, because everything that is harmful is a burden (iṣr) or a shackle (ghull). The apparent meaning of this text implies non-legislation. This is analogous to the Prophet's saying: "No harm and no reciprocating harm" (lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār) in Islam, and His saying: "I have been sent with the easy, tolerant Hanīfiyyah," which is a great principle in the Sharia.

When Allah described Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with these nine characteristics, He then said: {So those who believe in him} (Ibn 'Abbās said: meaning those among the Jews). {and honor him} (wa 'azzarūh), meaning they revere him. Al-Sāḥib of Al-Kashshāf said: The root of 'ta'zīr is prevention, hence ta'zīr (disciplinary punishment) is a beating less than the prescribed legal punishment (ḥadd), because it prevents the repetition of an ugly act.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {and support him} (wa naṣarūh), meaning against his enemy, {and follow the light which was sent down with him}, which is the Qur'an. It is also said it means guidance, clarification, and the message. Or, the Truth whose explanation is in the hearts like the explanation of light.

If it is asked: How can "light" (nūr) here be interpreted as the Qur'an, since the Qur'an was not sent down with Muhammad, but rather with Gabriel?

We reply: It means it was sent down concurrent with his prophethood, because his prophethood manifested alongside the manifestation of the Qur'an.

Then, after mentioning these characteristics, Allah said: {Those are the successful ones} (al-mufliḥūn), meaning they are the ones who attain what is desired in this world and the Hereafter.

Verse 158